The brassiere has long been used to alleviate discomfort for women as a result of heaviness and excessive movement of the breasts. Generally, brassieres intended for everyday use provide a cup that supports each breast and distributes the weight of the breast to the shoulders, neck, and back of the woman through straps attached to the cups. Although these brassieres provide some support, they often fail to adequately restrain the breasts. In an effort to increase the support of the traditional bra, an underwire was introduced to the cups to give them more structure and rigidity. Many women find the underwire uncomfortable. Furthermore, the cups of traditional bras are not adjustable and do not allow a woman to customize the fit of the bra based upon her body shape and the intensity of the physical activity in which she will engage. Insufficient breast support and restraint can lead to shoulder, neck, and back pain, as well as stretch marks and sagging of the breasts.
For the physically active woman, sports bras have been used to provide additional support and restraint to alleviate discomfort. Traditionally, sports bras restrain the breasts by distributing the majority of the weight of the breasts to the shoulders. There are a number of deficiencies with the traditional sports bra. Women often experience severe shoulder strain and even pain in the upper back and neck regions from the weight being born by their shoulders. Additionally, breasts restrained by a sports bra are prone to be forced together in the middle of a woman's chest in an aesthetically displeasing formation. The contact between the breasts often results in irritation caused by excessive sweating and chafing. Sports bras are also uncomfortable for women with larger bust sizes. Often times, sports bras slide up and down the body of the wearer during physical activity causing further irritation and chafing, especially to the skin around the ribcage.
Therefore, for the reasons stated above, there is currently a need for a support garment that provides a wearer with total support and restraint of the breasts in a comfortable and fully customizable manner. Furthermore, there is a need for a support garment that restrains and supports the wearer's breasts in a manner that reduces the strain imposed on the wearer's neck and shoulders. There is also a need for a support garment that does not irritate the wearer's breasts or cause chafing. Finally, there is a need for a support garment that supports and restrains the wearer's breasts in a manner that does not allow the breasts to be forced together in the center of the garment. As described below, the present invention provides a support garment that fulfills these needs.